Page 20 of Bad Boy Bakers, Vol. 2

There’d been too many years of quiet Christmases while Jonah had been deployed, when it had only been her and her daughter, Samantha.

Now Jonah was free of the Navy and here with his soon-to-be wife, Rachel.

Sam was here with her husband, Griff, and their baby girl, Rory, the absolute love of Rebecca’s life.

And as if that wasn’t bounty enough, all the extended, adopted family that came along with Bad Boy Bakers was here, too.

Both of Jonah’s business partners, Brax and Holt, whom she’d informally adopted as soon as they moved to town, their wives and children, and a handful of others linked to them, including Donna, Holt’s mother-in-law.

Finding seating was proving to be a challenge, but Rebecca wouldn’t have it any other way.

“No, no, shove the sofa against the far wall. That should give you room for the extra tables you brought from the bakery.”

“We’ve gotta move all of Rory’s Christmas presents first,” Jonah announced. “I’m not sure why you went so nuts buying her stuff. She’s only six months old. She’s not gonna remember all this.”

Rebecca shot a mock scowl at her son. “Oh hush, you. Don’t you rain on my grandma parade.”

“That’s right,” Donna agreed. “Spoiling our grandchildren is one of our greatest joys in life.”

Holt shot a significant glance at his wife that nobody missed.

Cayla pressed her lips together to hide a smile. “Then I suppose this is as good a time as any to let y’all know you’re getting another one.”

Donna’s mouth fell open. “You’re pregnant?”

Cayla nodded, brown eyes twinkling.

The general volume rose several decibels as all the women began to squee and rushed forward to hug the mom-to-be.

Holt’s younger sister Hadley rested a hand on her own barely visible baby bump. “Oh, thank God. I won’t be the only one living off limeade and ginger ale.”

“The morning sickness really hasn’t been that bad this go-round.”

Hadley grimaced. “I hate you a little bit right now.”

Her fiancé, Cash, tugged her back against him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Yours is getting better.”

“I do think I can safely fall on that Christmas feast in there like a pack of ravening wolves, so there’s that.”

“Speaking of food, everything’s more or less ready,” Rachel announced. “We should probably start getting hands washed and drinks poured while the guys finish setting up the tables.”

A joyful chaos ensued, and Rebecca soaked up every minute. There was nothing better than family, be they of the blood or of the heart.

In less than twenty minutes, the extra tables had been set up in the living room to make one long table.

Cayla had put her event planner skills to work and fitted them out with runners, centerpieces, placemats, and cloth napkins folded into some kind of fancy pinwheel.

Rebecca had put her foot down on the china.

No one wanted to do that many dishes by hand.

The high-quality paper plates would be just fine.

The doorbell rang as Rebecca was lighting the final candle. She glanced around, confused. “Did somebody get locked out?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jonah scrubbed a hand over his head. “I forgot to tell you. I invited one more.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t be frustrated. This had always been her rule.

They’d make room for one more. But she wished he’d thought to tell her while they were still sorting the seating.

“Well, go let them in.” She turned to the tables, wondering where the hell they were going to shoehorn one more person in.

Maybe if they shifted the high chair, they could wedge someone on the end down near her.

At the sound of more footsteps, she turned to greet the newcomer and felt the words die on her lips as she spotted him.

All the chaos of parents wrangling kids faded into the background, and time seemed to slow as he stepped into the room and sucked up all the oxygen.

Though silver threaded through his dark hair and beard, the years had been more than kind to Grey.

A lifetime in the Navy had kept him fit, and she recognized the same economy of motion and readiness of stance she saw in her son.

He’d promised last month that he’d be seeing her.

That he was coming home. But she hadn’t believed him.

Just like she hadn’t been able to trust that he would come back when she was eighteen.

A potent mix of joy and anxiety crawled through her as the corner of his mouth tipped up in a hesitant smile.

The smile she’d missed like hell for years.

“Hey, Rebel.”

His voice was a deeper rasp now, but the tone was the same, full of affection and humor and the shared secrets of someone who’d once known her down to the ground.

No one had ever called her that but him, and she’d loved it, as much as she’d once loved him.

Hearing it now erased thirty-odd years of life and longing, leaving her feeling far more like an addled teenager than a brand-new grandmother.

“Grey.” She’d have preferred to sound a lot more carefree and breezy, but at this point, she was proud to have found her voice at all. “Welcome.”

Breaking contact with the hazel eyes she’d once known as well as her own, she began snapping orders.

“Griff, go grab the desk chair from Sam’s room. We’ll figure out where to slot it in at the tables.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Rachel, do we have enough silverware?”

“I’ll grab another set.”

“Donna, can you fill another glass with ice?”

Her friend was already reaching for the cabinet above the dishwasher.

When Rebecca turned back, Grey was right there, close enough to touch.

She looked up at him, remembering what it had felt like to hug him again after so many years.

She hadn’t been able to stop herself when she’d seen him in the bakery.

No matter how complicated their history, nothing had been able to override that desire in the moment.

Nerves were the only thing stopping her right now, because his presence here was like dancing around a bunch of land mines.

“I brought wine. And a little gift for the hostess.”

“Oh, I—” She accepted the bottle, and the large gift bag. “Thank you.”

He searched her face, lowering his voice. “If this isn’t okay, I can leave. I gather Jonah didn’t tell you I was coming.”

“He didn’t, no.” And what would she have done if he had? “It’s just a surprise, is all.”

Those eyes that had always seen too much stayed on hers. “I don’t want to make this awkward for you. I know we didn’t part on the most positive terms.”

Pain lanced through her at the memory of the things they’d both said out of heat and hurt.

“It was a long time ago. Water under the bridge.” It had to be, because she couldn’t think about all that right now.

Digging up a smile, she laid a hand on his arm and admitted the truth she could tell him.

“I am happy to see you, Grey. Please stay.”

He covered her hand with his and squeezed, sending a buzz of electricity all the way up her arm. “I’d like that.”